A Thousand Sweet Kisses
by L Ducky
Summary: Collins took the song litterally. Some fluff Full summary inside. ThreeShot now. And this time,it really is the end.
1. Kisses

**A Thousand Sweet Kisses**

**This idea has been bouncing around my head since I saw the movie, I just didn't know how to put it into a fanfiction. It was really strong today so I just sat down and wrote it.**

**Don't own. Getoverit.**

… _With a thousand sweet kisses_

_Oh lover I'll cover you…_

They promised each other, and from then on Collins kept track. Starting that day, he was counting their kisses. That was the first one.

--

By the time the party at the Life was over, they were at 15. 985 to go.

--

He kissed her whenever possible. Little kisses everywhere. Whenever she said something cute. Whenever she cooked him dinner. Whenever he came home. Every night before he went to bed. Every morning. Every time he saw his beautiful drag queen. And he kept counting. He was always counting.

--

A little trail of kisses down her neck, then kiss after kiss on her lips. _234, 235, 236, 237… _She deepened one kiss, slipping her tongue in. Oh, god how he loved her. He replied to the kiss with as much passion as he could muster. He let his hands wander down to the waistline of her skirt, and he gently broke the kiss. He smiled at her and faux-innocent smile, and she kissed him all over his face. Forehead, temple, temple, eyelids, cheeks, jaw, jaw, chin, nose: _238, 239, 240, 241, 242, 243, 244, 245, 246, 247…_ he trailed his hands up, feeling Angel's stomach muscles, his bare chest. The wig had long since fallen off, and he kissed the top of her head, _248_, and pulled the shirt and fake breasts over Angel's head. He hovered over his lover, and then bent down to kiss his lips. _249_. Hand were finding their way under Collin's shirt, lifting it up, up, up, his arms were out of the fabric. They broke the kiss briefly to pull the shirt over his head, and they met again. _250_.

--

A New Years kiss at midnight was number 315.

Valentine's Day kisses led to 456.

Rainy day kisses in March ended at number 506.

April Fools Day sorry-I-tricked-you kisses added to the collection, now making it 554.

Walks in the park in May, and Collins was still keeping track. They were at 623.

Schools-out-so-Collins-can-spend-more-time-with-Angel kisses in late June brought the total to 758.

And counting

Add July ice cream kisses in the park – 831

Along with August Collins-got-a-job kisses – 894

September kisses before work every morning – 934

And finally October. A single kiss on the subway on the way to the hospital brought the grand total to 956.

In the hospital, he couldn't kiss his lover where he wanted to because of all the machines. He placed a gentle kiss on Angel's forehead, _964_, as the frail boy drifted to sleep

They never reached a thousand alive. 965 was the highest they got.

_With one thousand sweet kisses… I'm sorry Angel._

He walked to his lover's grave, and just sat there for a while, softly singing

_When your heart has expired… oh lover I'll cover you… oh lover I'll cover you…_

Their first kiss.


	2. 966

**The idea is still bugging me, so I wrote a sequel to _A Thousand Sweet Kisses_. It was too sad, and it wasn't finished. I still have more to say, so here it is.**

_965_

_965_

_965_

The number was firmly burned onto Collins's brain. It was popping up everywhere, too.

Lunch at the Life Café with Mark - $9.65

The page he assigned for his students to read was page 965.

The expiration date on the AA battery he bought was 9-6-05.

Mark was complaining about how he had 965 minutes of film to sort.

He was beginning to think that Angel was sending him a message.

Even when he went to the doctor's for a regular check up, he was sent to room number 965.

"I'm sorry to inform you, Mr. Collins, but your T-cell count is extremely low. I have reason to believe that you wont last until next Christmas."

"It's only November!" Collins exclaimed.

"Exactly, Mr. Collins. I'm so sorry…" Collins didn't know what to feel. He would be gone soon, gone away from the torture of everyday life, but also gone from his friends, his New York family.

And he could be with his Angel. His beloved Angel. Finally, finally, finally. Angel.

--

Crisp, white sheets surrounding him. He knew he was being kept alive unnaturally, all the life, all the spunk had been taken out of him.

He gathered all of his friends, including Benny, around him one last time. He spoke to each of them separately.

"Joanne, girl, you're the best. Putting up with Maureen is not the easiest thing - I know, I went through high school with her – but you manage. Keep her in line; don't let her do anything too drastic, okay? Keep doing what you love, save some lives out there, okay?"

"Maureen, the drama queen. I love you, girl. You kept me sane all through high school, even if I drove you crazy. You helped me through everything, including us being 'that pair of fags' who were rumored to be going out. You are one crazy bitch, and I love you for it."

"Benny. Benny, Benny, Benny, Benny, Benny. You have changed so much since I first met you. You were so lost, man, I thought that if I didn't find you, some wolfs would. But we got you man. You, me, Roger, Mark, and Maureen… we had some crazy times. Keep those with ya as you go about collecting rent from our loft. And go easy on Mark and Roger."

"Mimi, honey, I didn't get to know you all too well, but you were my Angel's best friend. I am so grateful to you for that, you cannot imagine. If you two hadn't met, I wouldn't have my drag queen. Yea, she told me how you helped her with that. Thanks so much for being there for her, for me. Don't give up, Mimi-chica. You are their last connection to our Angel."

"Roger, I know you're hurt, but let Mimi help you. You can learn a lot from her. Keep going to Life Support, you don't know how happy that made me when you showed up that one day. Get back on track, get Mimi back on track, and take care of yourself. Don't let the HIV get to you – take your meds, guy."

"Mark, man. Don't hide behind that camera lens. I know everyone says it, but come out and live a little. 'No Day But Today,' boy. You need to learn that. You made the film of us living with disease, now you need to live, too. Put away the camera for a day, and live."

"All you guys… I love you so much. Keep me in mind, and live. I have one last request." Tears sprung to everyone's eyes as he said 'last.' "Don't be all sad over this, people. You are the best family anyone could ask for. I love you all so much… don't think about the end too much. Think about today. Think about life. Angel and I will always be with you guys."

"Now, let's cut the sentimental crap, and you guys need to get back to work and life. I've kept you here long enough. Shoo! Mark, Roger, you stay, though. You guys don't have real jobs, and I got something to show you." He pulled out a piece of paper, and set it down on the little table beside him. It read, _I, Thomas B. Collins, leave all my junk and possessions to Mark J. Cohen and Roger M. Davis_.

"Collins…"

"Don't argue. Now, you two get back to your jobs." They didn't argue.

A nurse came into the room once she saw all of the visitors go out.

"Are you ready, Mr. Collins?"

"I just need my coat." He clutched it, and with Angel's face in mind, he gave the command.

"Turn off the machines."

--

Floating, falling faster faster!

He landed on a puffy something, coat in hand. He slipped it on, remembering Angel.

_Angel_…

Where was she? Then he heard a "Collins!" and an attack from behind. His heart floating, he turned around. There was Angel, beautiful as ever. She was in her favorite outfit, the one she wore to the Life after Maureen's riot.

"I saw you, I was waiting for you, oh, Collins, I missed you." Collins held his love close, never wanting to let her go again, tears leaking from his eyes. Without a word, he tilted her head up and kissed her. _966_.

He was still counting.

**Okay, that was the end, I think. Yea, I'm pretty sure.**

**No, I don't know if hospitals let you say to turn off the machines, but for the purposes of this story, you are allowed to give the order, alright?**

**Reviews make me feel better because I hate allergies. **


	3. Thousand

**Okay, the idea STILL isn't out of my head. By popular demand, I have some up with a sequel / new chapter to "A Thousand Sweet Kisses."**

When he got to heaven, Collins didn't say a word until he found his Angel. And even then, he didn't say a word until he kissed his lover as if for the first time (_966_). He could feel the happiness radiating from his lover, and tightened his grip on her. They finally broke apart, and Collins saw tears in his Angel's eyes. He brushed them away with his thumb, and asked her,

"What's wrong? Don't cry, Angel…"

"Well, you're here, right?"

"Yes, dear, I really am here, you're not dreaming."

"But… that means you're not with your friends. They're all down there devastated that you're gone."

"Angel, sweetie…" Collins could not believe this. Angel was just too much. He knew she was happy to see him, and she is _still_ thinking of others… still being an Angel to the group, even while she was in heaven.

"You were there for us even when you were here, right?"

"Yes"

"So we'll do the same thing… together now. We can be there for them. Okay?" Angel took his hand in hers and they walked together around Heaven, Angel pointing out all the friends she'd made.

"And there's Ali."

"I remember you!" Ali cried. "You came to Life Support!"

"Oh, yea! How are you, girl?"

"Here, I'm fine. I'm worried about the rest, though."

"Who isn't, sweetie?" Angel remarked with a sympathetic look at her friend. Ali turned her attention away, and Angel and Collins snuck away to a room all their own. As soon as the door was closed, Collins turned around and pinned Angel to the wall.

"You really missed me, didn't you, Tom?" Angel teased him.

"More than you can imagine." He punctuated his statement by kissing Angel deeply on the lips. _967_. He traced his fingers to her lower back and held them there, still kissing her. Her hand wandered down his chest, and she looped her pinky fingers into the belt loops of his jeans. The need to breathe broke them apart, but the need for each other could not keep them apart for long. Soon enough, Angel's hands traveled under his shirt, and she lifted it off of him, revealing his flat chest. _Damn_, Angel thought. _He kept in shape_. She was glad his attention was on her jaw line (_969, 970, 971…_) and not at her hips, because her skirt was sticking up just a tad in the front. She lifted her arms up to help him take off her shirt, the wig going with it, and then let her arms drop slowly down, tracing lines down Collin's chest. Collins drew a sharp breath and she smiled. She knew her lover well enough to know what that meant. Her fingertips lingered at his hipbones, and his hand traveled up her back right in between her shoulder blades. He brought them close together and kissed her again. _972_. She could taste the desire in his kiss, and she almost laughed. He had been lonely, she could tell. Even surrounded by his friends and family, he had been lonely. The drag queen wrapped her arms around her lover's neck and whispered in his ear,

"I missed you baby."

"I missed you, too."

**Hour and a half later…**

Angel and Collins walked hand in hand through the halls of the huge castle, until they found a room where they could look through a hold in the clouds at their beloved city. They sat together, arms around each other's waits, and looked down at their friends. They were celebrating a promotion Joanne got – she was now president of her law firm. Collins saw Mark get up and deliver a toast,

"To Angel and Collins!"

"To Angel and Collins!" the rest echoed. They saw Mimi and Roger kiss, then Maureen and Joanne. There was a ring glittering on Mimi's left ring finger, and engagement ring. Collins looked at Angel, and found her looking right back. He leaned in and kissed her lips… _1,000_. When they broke away, Collins was grinning broadly. Angel smiled back at him and sang,

"_With a thousand sweet kisses…_"

She was counting, too.


End file.
